Significant Crowds and Traffic Expected for Seahawks ParadePublic advised to be patient and plan ahead for travel delays

SEATTLE – With unprecedented crowds expected to cheer for the victorious Seattle Seahawks, local transportation and transit agencies are advising the traveling public to expect significant delays in and around downtown Seattle on February 5. The Seattle Department of Transportation, King County Metro Transit, Sound Transit and Community Transit urge Seahawks fans to enjoy the event but to pack some patience and plan ahead for delays.

The parade, with an expected turnout of 200,00 to 500,000 spectators, will begin at 11 a.m. and conclude with a rally at CenturyLink Field at 1:30 p.m. Travelers should expect roadway and transit delays throughout the day due to crowds and road closures, with spectators likely arriving well in advance of the event. Given the celebration's unprecedented size, drivers and transit riders should anticipate heavy traffic congestion in downtown, Lake Union, Queen Anne, the stadium area and nearby highways. Metro and Sound Transit plan to use every available resource to accommodate what will likely be the largest parade in the city's history.

The parade begins at Fourth Avenue and Denny Way, and heads south on Fourth Avenue to S Washington Street. From there it will proceed west to Second Avenue S, turn south on Second and then move into the North Lot at CenturyLink Field. Fourth Avenue and all cross streets from Third Avenue to Fifth Avenue will be closed to traffic starting at 10:30 a.m. and reopen after the parade passes, and Occidental Avenue will be closed at 8:30 a.m. “No parking” signs for the event are in place and prohibit parking along the route from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday. More than 75,000 fans are expected to attend a ticketed rally in the stadium area after the parade, so sizable crowds and area delays will continue well after the parade concludes. Fans are encouraged to dress warmly and be prepared for delays.

Buses and trains are expected to be extremely crowded. Riders may encounter significant wait times and service delays. Some buses will be rerouted in Downtown Seattle. Riders should sign up to receive rider alert messages via e-mails or text message for their specific bus route or train.

Parking at most park-and-ride lots and all Sounder stations often fills early, and demand will be high. Riders who can't arrive early are encouraged to get dropped off.

Bus service information accessed through the trip planners on transit agency websites and the One Bus Away service may not be accurate when road closures, re-routes and unusually high congestion levels are in effect. Riders should refer to rider alerts for the specific bus routes they are using.

Expect transit delays to continue as long as celebrating fans are downtown, likely into the afternoon commute.

Riders are reminded that if they see something say something, Report any suspicious activity to a bus driver or call 911.

King County Metro Transit—metro.kingcounty.gov
Tomorrow it will be all hands on deck for Metro. Extra buses will be added to key high ridership routes in and out of downtown Seattle. Metro also advises riders that the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will be a better option than street service, especially when the parade is underway.

Most Downtown Seattle transit service is expected to be delayed by heavy traffic before, during and after the parade. Even as buses are rerouted, drivers will make every effort to continue to keep transit service moving.

Metro buses that typically travel via or cross Fourth Avenue will be rerouted along with general traffic to nearby streets during the parade. Riders can see which routes are affected at Metro's website. Metro's alert page lists where buses will be rerouted and where temporary bus stops will be during the parade. Look for that information to be posted Tuesday afternoon. Metro's online Trip Planner indicates service that is rerouted as well as scheduled and predicted departure times. However, predicted times may be less accurate when buses are rerouted.

Sound Transit - www.soundtransit.orgSounder commuter rail, with service to the north end of CenturyLink field, will be an attractive option for many fans attending the parade. Southline trains offer congestion-free service to and from Lakewood, South Tacoma, Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Auburn, Kent and Tukwila. Northline trains serve Edmonds, Mukilteo and Everett.

Southline: Sound Transit will operate one additional round trip leaving Tacoma at 9:30 a.m. and returning from Seattle at 2:30 p.m. (note that this special trip is not able to serve South Tacoma or Lakewood). This is in addition to the six trains that depart Lakewood beginning at 4:41 a.m. and two additional trains that depart Tacoma at 7:25 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. The added Seahawks train will depart King Street Station at 2:30 p.m., followed by regular service at 3:12 p.m., 3:42 p.m., 4:12 p.m., 4:32 p.m., 4:52 p.m., 5:12 p.m., 5:42 p.m., and 6:12 p.m.

Northline: Four morning trips will depart Everett for Seattle at 5:45 a.m., 6:15 a.m., 6:45 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. Return trains in the afternoon will depart King Street Station at 4:05 p.m., 4:33 p.m., 5:05 p.m., 5:35 p.m., and 6:50 p.m. The 7:15 a.m. and 4:04 p.m. north line departures will operate longer, five-car trains to accommodate larger than normal crowds. The 6:45 a.m. and 4:33 p.m. departures will run three-car trains.

Link light rail serves stops close to the stadiums and the parade route and will operate with service expanded to peak-hour levels throughout the morning and afternoon on Wednesday. Trains will leave stations approximately every 7.5 minutes. More information on Link is available at www.soundtransit.org. Link riders will have a new discounted parking option at Sea-Tac Airport where they park for $2 an hour all day and ride light rail downtown.

ST Express regional bus service will experience high rider demand, and some service will be rerouted.

ST Express 522: Buses into downtown Seattle will drop off passengers along 5th Avenue with the first stop at Seneca Street. To board buses to Woodinville, take any bus or train southbound in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to Stadium Station and board the bus at South Royal Brougham Way, or take any bus or train northbound in the downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to Westlake Station and board the bus on a temporary stop on Pike St just east of 6th Avenue.

ST Express 545: Buses into downtown Seattle will operate their regular route. To board buses to Redmond, take any bus or train southbound in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to Stadium Station and board the bus at S Royal Brougham Way, or take any bus northbound in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to Convention Place Station and board the bus on Olive Way at 8th Avenue or Terry Avenue.

ST Express routes 554, 577, 578, 590, 594: These buses will not serve downtown during parade hours. All passengers will get off at Royal Brougham and transfer to Link light rail or King County Metro routes 101, 106 or 150. To depart downtown Seattle, board any bus or train southbound in the downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel to Stadium Station and board the bus on SODO Busway at South Royal Brougham Way.

Sounder and Link light rail tickets must be purchased before boarding trains and must be presented to fare enforcement officers upon request. Ticket vending machines are available at all stations before entering the platform area. Buying an ORCA card in advance will avoid lines at vending machines. Find ORCA information at www.orcacard.com.

Community Transit - www.communitytransit.org
Snohomish County fans who want to leave early and avoid the crowds can take advantage of any of 13 Community Transit routes from all over the county. Buses run to Seattle between 5 – 8:30 a.m., depending on the route. Fans can get home on those same routes between 2:30-6 p.m. Schedules and fares are available at www.communitytransit.org. If you've always wanted to ride a double decker bus, this is a great opportunity. Go to www.communitytransit.org/doubletall to see which routes feature the Double Tall bus.

West Seattle Water Taxi - http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/WaterTaxi/WSeattle.aspx
The West Seattle Water Taxi plans to add additional midday trips between West Seattle and Pier 50 downtown on Wednesday. Look for three additional departures from West Seattle at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Additional mid-day trips will depart from downtown Seattle at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Service information is posted on the Water Taxi website.

Ferry Traffic
Motorists driving to the Washington State Ferries on the waterfront should take I-5, go west on SR519/Edgar Martinez Drive, south on First Avenue S, west on Railroad Way and north on Alaskan Way.